How many times have you heard a starry-eyed engaged person say, "Oh, there's nothing I would ever want to change about this wonderful person in my life!" They float on a cloud of romance and excitement, blinded blissfully by love. The wedding is beautiful, the honeymoon surreal, and the first night as a couple in their own home brings a new sense of comfort and security. Their first days living together are a fun adventure, and courtesy is a daily gift.

Then it happens. They begin to notice this other person they married is a little... strange. Their habits are unusual. They react in ways that they previously had not. Sometimes, they behave in ways that seem downright disrespectful. The starry-eyed young lover falls quickly from that cloud as they realize there are things about their partner they don't care for, and in this discovery, tries to change them to be more like themselves!

When my husband and I were engaged and going through our premarital Bible studies and counseling, we heard one particular piece of advice over and over. "Whatever flaws, bad habits, and annoyances you see in this person now will still be there after you say your vows. They will never change.”

Thankfully, we had been friends for years before we dated, so we knew each other very well. We skipped some major surprises that way. As I heard this advice, I thought "This doesn't really apply to me. This will be a breeze."

It was a breeze. Before we lived together.

Not long after we were married, the daily living together illuminated small things that had never bothered me before... such as his devotion to his wardrobe. He had shirts from high school, and socks from his military days. There was one shirt in particular that was old and faded and probably not the same color it had been when it was purchased. (Funny how when he wore it when we dated, I never noticed the imperfections.) Over time, it started to get on my nerves.

I sweetly asked him to consider giving it up. He informed me that the shirt had value, and he could never part with it. He actually enjoyed wearing it! When I questioned why, his answer was, "I've had it for a long time. It's a good shirt!"

A bit confused, I suggested he just wear it around the house, and not in public -- especially not to work. He laughed and told me he planned to wear that shirt wherever he wanted to.

I decided to wait several days before breaching the topic again. And again a few days after that. And so on. Each time I suggested the shirt's retirement, he laughed, and in his good natured fashion, told me "no way."

It aggravated me that he didn't want to do as I suggested. After all, I was only trying to be helpful! It seemed like I'd have to take matters into my own hands. Unfortunately, I've never been good at covert operations.

"You found your shirt stuffed in the back of the closet? What was it doing there?"

"Check the laundry room... check it again. Not there? Oh, no!"